


Cherry Pop

by HemlockGrover



Category: Reprisal (TV 2019), Vikings (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Forced Marriage, Gangs, Hate to Love, Love Letters, Love/Hate, Original Character(s), Sassy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:34:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29770050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HemlockGrover/pseuds/HemlockGrover
Summary: Cherry is a girl who finds a home in The Gang called the Brawlers, when she makes a bet on joking terms with a certain River Phoenix. She may just have to realize how far she's in.
Relationships: Hvitserk (Vikings)/Original Female Character(s), Marco Ilsø/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

A girl had to be smart making it in this big cruel world, you were either the hunter or the hunted. It didn't matter what you looked like, even though it did help, Nor how much money was in your bank account, it all depended on how smart you were all at the end of the day.

I always hated my name growing up, and it was so artificial, and it just didn't fit a lost girl looking for everything, scrounging for stolen change in telephone booths just to buy some canned ravioli, sneaking in dive motel rooms just to have somewhere safe to sleep.

Until I found comfort in the Bang -a- Rang, a big dollar burlesque bar with a gang called the Brawlers, illegal gambling, girls, and the finest bootleg liquor, no, I'm not a dancer, I'm a bartender, when you have men who have a little too much, you get really good tips.

Every misfit and outcast on the south of Georgia, made into a little fucked up family, me included, and thats where I came into the name Cherry. Not on the account of my hair being Copper but on the fact I could make the near damn best Cherry Cobbler on this side of town.

Baked goods were a specialty. And my brownies could make a boy fall in love with me with one single bite, thats where he comes in.

Marco.

~

The music pulses through me leave me with a rush as I pour a nice whiskey on the rocks, sliding it to the man in front of me.

He takes the glass and chases after one of the girls, Another soul to get his heartbroken by a siren.

"Another one bites the dust," I tell Donnie.  
He shakes his head, chuckling at me.  
He was so full of soul, older gentlemen, he came from the root of Louisiana, tall, and skin rich like the bark on the bayou trees.  
Made the best food you could imagine, his wife passed sometime back, every Friday I make it a priority to come over for dinner, and ghost stories from Louisiana, and I always brought dessert, he favored a peach cobbler the best, so I always tried to make it alot. He was just that one person in my life that really felt like family.

"Do you realize you are just as bad as those the dancers, I can't tell you how many times I've seen a poor boy fall in love at first sight with you? He flings his towel on his shoulder.

"Uh huh", I wave him off.

"There's one now" he nudges me with his elbow.

The River Phoenixes stroll right in. Young men with nothing to lose but all to gain, doing more of the shadier deals of the Brawlers. High rollers and Charmers at their finest. I called them suits.

Patty was the oldest, tall and built like a ox, ready to take on anyone and anything at any given chance, a hit with all of the dancers in the Bang -a- rang.

Dorn was more of the laid back and wait, all smarts and may I add the nicest tipper in the whole bar.

Marco, that boy knew how to get on my nerves. All action and no thought, unstable. He sat at my bar all night annoying the hell out of me. Cocky bastard. I just knew how to keep up with the game.

Marco spotted me in the line of fire, in the crowd.  
I sighed loudly, preparing myself for a long night, he turned to Dorn saying something before patting him on the shoulder, before strolling over my way.

"Well, well, well, I see you crawled back home" I start making him his scotch, as he settles himself on the barstool, giving me a boyish smirk.

"Don't tell me you didn't miss me, babycakes" he liked to emphasize that pet name because how much I hated it.

I push the drink towards him,  
"Sorry to break your heart,"

He smiled wider at me.

"I've been thinking, Dollface, let's get cut to the chase, when are you going to marry me?" He playfully asks.

I scoffed. "Gross"

"Okay, Okay I'll make you a bet, I'm supposed to play a nice game of poker tonight with a rich fellow."

"And" I lay my hand on my hip.

"If I win, you are going to marry me." He's joking, he's always joking.

"Okay what if I win?"

"Anything you want, all bets." He raises his hand. "Brawlers promise"

"I want you to buy me a house, little place where I can be all by myself" I laugh a little.

He extends his hand.  
We shake.

~

In the morning the bar is dead and empty. In full sunlight, no glitz and glam. Just a silent space.

Cleaning up after a long night is a bitch.

As I sweep up the trash on the floor, Meredith Harlow damn near breaks down the doors, swinging them open.

"Cherry, you have alot of explaining to do."  
She seems unnerved.

"What do you mean?" I'm actually confused, and it is showing on my face, now she seems confused.

"You don't know?" She blinks slowly.

"Know what?!" I yelled.

"Marco is telling everyone you are getting married." She explains.

"Oh he's just fucking with me. We made a bet last night about if he won this poker game" I laugh it off.

"Cherry. I don't think he was joking" She actually gets this scared look on her face.  
"He bought a ring."

"Oh yeah? Who told you that?"

She gets even more worried and panicked.  
"He did. He showed me the ring."

I blinked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So here is the second chapter! Dedicated to the lovely Amyponders who is literally the best person on earth! ❤

You're joking, Meredith.  
Come on tell me the punch line."

It never comes.

"He isn't that nuts is he?" I shook my head laughing.

My mind was still processing thinking it over. We joked. We chewed each other out. And now this boy wanted to marry me all of sudden, I wasn't buying it, thats for damn sure.

"I barely know him; I've been here what 3 months? And I've only spoken to him a handful of times since then."

"You've both spoken more than a handful of times." She crosses her arms over her chest. I take a quick glance over of her outfit, it was a cute red and white bandeau top jean shorts, and cork heel wedges.

"You're outfits cute." I try to avert the conversation.

"Thank you,  
but you are switching the subject, you're acting like this isn't a big deal!"She exclaims.

"Listen, I am an independent woman. I can date, screw, and "marry" who ever the hell I want to, and its definitely not going to be Marco," I huffed. "Do you really think he wants to marry me, it's a joke."

"He's like a kid who wants a kid who wants a toy, he'll get bored of it, it's the same formula" I reassure her with a soft smile.  
"If I see Dorn, I'll talk to him if it makes you feel better?"

She chews on her bottom lip, shifting on her heels, nodding in agreement.  
"He'll be at the Rally tonight, He's racing."

"I have some things to do tonight" I bit the inside of my cheek nervously.

She tilts her head at me. "Like what?" She looks at me all doe eyed and innocent.

I give her a mischievous smirk, as she realizes what I mean.

"You are not seeing Ethan, and you're looking for a world of trouble, Cherry." She stated shaking her head at me in disbelief. "Nothing but trouble."

"He's going to take me out in his uncle's Demon, go for dinner." I said dreamily, I readjust my grip on the broom.

Ethan was something nice, sweet on me,  
tall, dark, and handsome, too good for any of this life. Sometimes too good for me.

"Don't get caught."

Her cellphone begins to chime. She rolls her eyes and takes it out of her back pocket.

"You too" I spoke before she answered the call.

I waved her goodbye, and she gave me the middle finger before leaving me alone, to clean up a mess.

~

I stare at myself in the mirror.  
My copper hair fell long and fluffy and my body looked like a backroad, all curves like a Greek statue, and something that I loved more than anyone else, every little bit and more.

My blue jeans hugged just right, a bleached stained Rolling Stones t-shirt, and a vintage dark wash jean jacket rolled up to my elbows.

"What do you think, Smudge?" I turn to my bed, sprawled out on my blue and white flowery bedspread was my very fluffy white tom cat, he looked at me with his golden eyes and his tail swayed, I went over to him scooping him up, and laying some kisses on his head.

"I'll take that as a yes" as he purred lovingly.

I check the time on my bedside clock nearing 9 pm he should've been here already, the rally starts right about now.

"Maybe he's just a little late, huh?" I said to Smudge, "let's get you some dinner" I walk through my bedroom into the trailers kitchen, I set Smudge on the counter top who waited patiently at his cat bowl, I took a can friskies from the cabinet, cracking open the can and emptying it in his bowl.

He would be here, he wouldn't just leave me hanging, would he?

9:30 went to 10. I called him three times.  
10 went to 12 and thats when I changed into my pj's and headed to bed.  
4 am my phone rang.

"Cherry, somethings happened" Meredith was out of breath, she sounded scared, my heart dropped.


End file.
